A year of being climate positive

It was in May last year, that This is Fever pledged to become a Climate Positive Workforce, to ensure that collectively, we captured more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than we were released. As a result, we teamed up with Ecologi to offset the carbon footprints of each member of staff and actually do something about the climate crisis.

During the months that followed, we have seen our virtual forest flourish, with clusters of trees growing from tiny saplings into towering bushy beacons of change, each representing real trees that have been planted and funded by us.

During this time, we have also helped to fund a range of initiatives that have been purposefully designed to either capture and store Co2 from the atmosphere, or reduce the amount of Co2 being released in the first place; and it’s through these measures that we can proudly and confidently say that we have captured and reduced more carbon dioxide, one of the primary Greenhouse Gases, that we have emitted as an agency.

Why is reducing the amount of Co2 important?

A few degrees might not sound like a lot, however, it is vital to the future of our planet that we keep global warming to under two degrees. As an agency, we wanted to make a difference and minimise the impact that we have on the environment, which is why we decided to do something about it.

Carbon Reducing Initiative That We Have Helped Fund

As a business subscriber to Ecologi, this means that we offset the carbon footprint of each employee’s life, as well as any business and personal travel (all calculated to pre-covid levels when we all travelled a bit more). In addition to this, a further 10% is factored in to ensure that we are offsetting more than our collective footprints.

It is said that “a society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit”, which is why we’re particularly proud to have funded the planting of over 3,221 trees, in the last 12 months alone. This ensures that over their lifetime, they will provide invaluable habitat for wildlife, along with the ongoing capture of carbon dioxide, one of the leading greenhouse gasses. However, where things get really exciting, is that as part of our Carbon Offsetting with Ecologi, we have helped to support the following initiatives, that are focused on making a real and tangible difference.

Peatland restoration and conservation in Indonesia

This project protects the habitat that is thought to be home to up to 10% of the world’s remaining Bornean orangutan population.

Improving the Efficiency of Metro Transport in India

This is the world’s first metro system that is 100% powered by solar energy.

Producing electricity from wind power in Northeast Thailand

Like most countries, Thailand’s energy requirements have historically been met by burning fossil fuels. This initiative helped to transition to renewable sources, in addition to providing employment for 80 local people.

Along with all of these other amazing initiatives…

Converting landfill gas to energy in Northern Turkey

With over 90% of all Turkey’s waste going to landfill, where it decomposes and releases methane into the atmosphere. This initiative captures that methane, to be used as an energy source for generating electricity.

Protecting old-growth rainforest in Peru

Madre de Dios is the third-largest, and least densely populated region of Peru. It is home to much of the Peruvian Amazon where the local community is reliant on the old-growth rainforest. However, protecting it from degradation and deforestation activities has been a challenge.

Supporting the community to both safeguard the rainforest and to establish sustainable sources of income are therefore top priorities in the region. This project protects Brazil nut trees that can live for 500 years.

Onshore wind energy generation in Taiwan

Due to its location, Taiwan has the potential to harness strong wind energy for both on and offshore developments. Despite this, they are currently highly dependent on coal and gas imports. This project prevents 300,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

Cleaner cookstoves in Zambia and Ghana

Traditionally, many people in Zambia and Ghana cook on open fires. This is a very inefficient method of cooking, so by providing cleaner-burning stoves, biomass usage is cut by up to 66% annually.

Producing energy from waste rice husks in India

Interestingly, India is the world’s 2nd largest producer of rice, accounting for over 22% of all rice production globally. By being able to turn an otherwise wasted product of this manufacturing process, this prevents an estimated 28,442 tCo2 being released every year.

Producing electricity from solar energy in Vietnam

It’s estimated that only 1% of Vietnams energy is powered by solar, despite there being many hours of prime sunshine and high solar radiation. By investing in projects that help to transition away from fossil fuels, this provides 36,000 local people with clean energy.

Protecting and restoring the Pacific Coast of Colombia

An estimated 10% of the world’s flora and fauna can be found in Colombia, however, forests in the region have experienced a continued reduction, primarily due to illegal deforestation. This project activity will contribute to conservation of the region’s rich biodiversity.

Protecting lowland peat forest in Indonesia

Peatland is a pretty remarkable phenomenon, with the potential to store massive amounts of carbon. Despite them accounting for only 3% of the Earth’s surface, they capture and store more carbon than all other vegetation types in the world combined! This project supports all 17 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Small scale onshore wind in India

With one of the fasted growing energy demands globally, India is currently meeting these demands largely through a reliance on fossil fuels. This currently accounts for an estimated 74% of all energy being produced. By investing in cleaner alternatives, this project is preventing 14,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

Using waste biomass to produce electricity in Chile

In recent years, Chili has become a leader in renewable energy development, moving away from its dependency on fossil fuels, in order to meet its energy demands. However, it’s still around 70% of their energy that is being produced from coal, oil, or gas.

By utilising biomass as a fuel, this allows for the transition away from high-emitting fossil fuel alternatives, while at the same time continue to scale up their capacity for solar, wind, and other types of renewable solutions.

This project is preventing 250,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions every year.

Producing renewable wind energy in Bulgaria

Over the last 20 years, Bulgaria has become one of the fastest growing producers of wind energy, enabling them to move away from the total reliance on fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

With wind energy becoming cheaper and more efficient to harness, thanks to technological advances, there are huge opportunities to me taken. This particular project will prevent 6 million tonnes of emissions in its 20-year lifetime.

Preserving Amazonian rainforest in Brazil

Between 1975 and 2018, it is estimated that 20% of the rainforest in Brazil has been lost, primarily for agriculture, but also for oil and gas production, as well as mining and logging.

Preservation of this valuable global resource is vital, not only for the natural capturing of Co2 that vegetation provides but also for the habitat that it provides.

This project is preventing 27,435 hectares of native forest from being cut down.

Solar power generation in Tamil Nadu and Telangana, India

To help meet India’s growing energy demands, the reliance on fossil fuel is understandable. However, with cleaner alternatives available, we can help transition away from these damaging options by allowing them to harness their natural and renewable resources.

This project is preventing the emission of 93,000 tonnes of CO2e each year.

Wind power generation in Bac Lieu Province, Vietnam

The energy demand in Vietnam has increased by an average of 10% each year, over the past three years and despite their investment in renewable energy production, the demand has very much outpaced production which has resulted in power outages.

This project will prevent around 143,000 tonnes of Co2 being released into the atmosphere each year.

Generating clean electricity from hydropower in India

Coal continues to be India’s primary source of electricity, and the contribution of renewables to India’s energy mix has grown only slightly in the last 20 years, from 1% to 3%. India’s reliance on coal is worrying, and contributes greatly to India’s position as the third-biggest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, after China and the USA.

By helping to fund alternative sources to coal, we can help to reduce their Co2 output. In addition, this project provides employment for 13 local people.

Improving the Efficiency of Metro Transport in India

This is the world’s first metro system that is 100% powered by solar energy.

View Our Virtual Forest

You can find out more about all of these, along with viewing our “Virtual Forest” by heading over to Ecologi.com. You can even start your own forest to become climate positive yourself.